“I take my vows seriously.” Well, harrumph! Is there an aggrandizement more ponderous and self-justifying than this one? It’s frequently employed to deny fear, avoid responsibility, rationalize inaction, and rally support for the status quo. Perhaps that’s why Jesus’ instruction was so categorical and explicit: “Take no vows.” Hidden agendas aside, why do we take life so seriously? It’s a lila, after all.
Some men operate from a deep desire to be comfortable. We call these men conflict avoiders.
Are institutions fixable? Well, no. But sometimes there’s a great notion. “And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen. And he poured out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables.”
On the inner journey, we encounter two enemies: comfort and convention. “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest.” And convention? In 2020, our position remains that men in suits know what they’re talking about.
Comfort and security do not change a man. Only adversity can do that. We are hallowed and habilitated in difficult times.
Men's Work 